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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23224135">Every Heart</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/odangoatama/pseuds/odangoatama'>odangoatama</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Once Upon a Time (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, OQ Realms Week 2020 (Once Upon a Time), Split Queen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 11:35:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,160</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23224135</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/odangoatama/pseuds/odangoatama</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Entry for OQRealmsWeek on Twitter. // After falling down a well in Storybrooke, Regina ends up in a land of fairytales. But why is everyone calling her an Evil Queen?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Robin Hood</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>OQ Realms Week 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. dream</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>My entry for OQ Realms Week on twitter. Category is: Fairytale Land AU. Or, for some personal nostalgia, an AU based off one of my favorite childhood animes, Inuyasha.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Is it her?”</p><p>“It’s really her!”</p><p>“We have to tell Queen Snow, we have to hurry!”</p><p>Regina’s attention is split between the hysterical yelling around her, and the ache in her arms from having them bound tightly behind her. Or possibly from her initial fall down the well in the woods earlier. That’s probably more likely — because there’s no way her current situation is real. She must have taken a serious bump on the head, and is now being subjected to some weird sort of dream, or hallucination…</p><p>A crowd has started circling around her, each person wearing mixed expressions of intrigue and disgust. The main thing uniting them is the obvious fear in their eyes as they watch her warily. Her captors stand not too far away, four short men with axes braced against their shoulders are flanking her, watching her every move. Though they’re hiding it a bit better than the rest of the crowd, Regina can still see the fear on their own faces — and their obvious reluctance to stand too close to her. If it weren’t for the rope binding her ankles together, she’d consider making a run for it.</p><p>Instead, she assesses her surroundings. She seems to be in some sort of village, or commune. Everyone around her is dressed like they’re a part of some sort of Renaissance fair, and the various little huts and market stands behind them look like something out of her son’s fairytale books. Wherever her dreamland has taken her, it’s certainly a ways away from Storybrooke.</p><p>The crowd is still nervously buzzing as they continue to watch her, and Regina strains her ears trying to make out any words.</p><p>“I thought she was dead!”</p><p>“She’s a witch, of course she survived!”</p><p>“What is she wearing? She doesn’t look like the Evil Queen that I heard about.”</p><p>“That’s not the Evil Queen, she would’ve charred us all to bits by now if it was!”</p><p>Regina raises an eyebrow. Evil Queen? Maybe it’s time to give those fairytales a break during Henry’s bedtime reading. They’ve clearly made a bigger impact on her than she’s realized —</p><p>A hush slowly falls over the villagers at the sound of galloping in the distance. They all look to her right as the sound grows closer, and one of her guards parts the crowd in the same direction. </p><p>She can see it now, two horses pulling a small, rundown carriage behind them. The villagers break their circle around her, backing away from her as the carriage nears. Their heads turn nervously away from her and back, unsure whether to keep their attention on her or their new guest’s approach. A wave of anxiety overtakes her, settling in her chest. <em> It’s not real, it’s just a dream, just a dream… </em></p><p>The carriage stops not too far from her, and the rest of her captors point their axes against her in warning — though what they think she’s gonna do is far beyond her. The door to the carriage opens unceremoniously, and a woman steps out, followed by three more short men. Her eyes immediately settle on Regina, and after a quick second of hesitation, she walks determinedly towards her. The woman gets closer than anyone else has dared, her gaze hard as it holds Regina’s. </p><p>“It’s not possible,” the woman breathes.</p><p>Regina had given up trying to talk to her captors soon after they’d quite literally dropped her off in the middle of the village square. But something about the way this unknown woman is staring at her — with the villagers’ matching hatred, but also a deep look of heartbreak — makes her try again. “Listen, I don’t know what’s going on here but clearly there’s been some sort of misunderstanding…”</p><p>“She’s been playing dumb since we found her,” one of her captors gripes as the woman finally breaks eye contact with Regina to assess her.</p><p>“Where did you find her?” the woman asks.</p><p>“In the woods, by the remains of Lake Nostos,” another of Regina’s captors answers. “She hasn’t done any magic, o-or threatened to either…”</p><p>The woman arches an eyebrow at that, her gaze meeting Regina’s once more. “What’s your name?” she asks.</p><p>Uneasy, Regina reflects. “Look, I don’t know who you think I am or what you think I’ve done, but you are gravely mist-”</p><p>“What,” the woman interjects, “is your name?”</p><p>There’s a pause before she hesitantly gives in. “Regina.”</p><p>She can see the resolve in the woman’s eyes as she takes a step back and orders, “Take her to the dungeons.”</p><p>Regina bites back all nasty retorts as she’s lifted off the ground. <em> It’s just a dream, it’s just a dream… </em></p><p>—</p><p>It hadn’t taken long for word to reach Robin that the Evil Queen had returned. As a matter of fact, he was merely one village over, overlooking the shows of two ill-intentioned, traveling magicians who Robin knew were pickpocketing anyone who’d stand around to watch their tricks for long enough. </p><p>The first whistleblower had stopped right next Robin, and had been direct enough. “The Evil Queen is back!”</p><p>No one had really believed the young man at first. After all, the Queen had long been known to be dead — for twenty-eight years, to be more precise. Her death had been witnessed by Princess Snow White herself (now queen, but with her kingdom as permanently broken as it is, her hold on the title is fragile), who had watched as her prince had managed to drive his sword through the Queen’s back just before the Dark Curse had split the kingdom in half and permanently separated the prince and princess.</p><p>Though he paid the rumor little mind, Robin didn’t begrudge anyone wanting to believe that such a thing could be true, that the Queen could come back. After all, the Dark Curse placed upon the kingdom had all been her doing. And though her death had initially been a relief to almost everyone, the misery that had quickly settled in all over the Enchanted Forest had undoubtedly left people feeling like the Queen did indeed have the last laugh after all.</p><p>Many wanted vengeance. To see justice for themselves, after almost three decades of unending misery. But most, Robin knew, just wanted to see the end. Unfortunately, it seemed the only person who could undo the curse was the very woman who had cast it in the first place.</p><p>The rumor is quick to pick up speed, and by sundown, it’s clear that to many it’s more than just gossip. It riles up the evening crowd at the village tavern, as men let the mead and their anger get the better of them. </p><p>By the counter, one man grumbles loudly, “I hope they do a public execution! Behead that witch!”</p><p>“And actually go through with it, unlike the last time…,” another man adds bitterly.</p><p>Robin hears someone behind him worrying over the curse, “I hope they can get her to break it. Sarah’s been with-child for the past 28 years, and I don’t know how much more we can take…”</p><p>Attempting to tune it all out, Robin orders another drink. He’s too sober for all this Evil Queen talk, and his heart too battered to handle the pain that comes whenever she’s mentioned. It aches as it is with every passing day, fresh with a yearning for closure Robin knows he’ll never get. The last thing he needs is anyone getting his hopes up with crazy talk of her coming back to life. He knows better than anyone that it’s impossible.</p><p>The bar wench arrives with his drink, and he musters up a sad smile. With a tip, he asks her to keep them coming. Before the edge of the mug can meet his lips however, a familiar voice stops him.</p><p>“No, no, none of that.” A dainty hand takes the mug out of his own and sets it on the far side of his table, and he looks up in both surprise and annoyance at the woman who’s stolen his drink. She sits down across from him with a saccharine smile. “I need you sober tonight.”</p><p>“Forgive me, Zelena, but I’m afraid that’s not really gonna work for me,” he tells her, reaching for his drink. Zelena grabs it before he can, unfortunately, and Robin lets out a tired sigh.</p><p>“So you’ve heard the news,” she says cheerfully. “Unless there’s something else that has you moping around in this pigsty.” She glances around her with a look of distaste.</p><p>“That the Queen is back? Yes, I’m sure that little rumor has even made its way to Prince David’s side of the kingdom by now.” Without his mug of mead to drink, Robin awkwardly folds his arms on the table.</p><p>Zelena’s smile grows wider, and she leans in to tell him, “I’m sure it has. But, it’s more than just a rumor.”</p><p>“Oh?” Robin schools his face to one of disinterest. He’s never quite trusted Zelena — he doesn’t know her well enough, and frankly, he doesn’t much care to. Aside from her being a dark sorceress just as powerful as the Queen, she’s also just another painful reminder of the very woman Robin had been trying to forget tonight. </p><p>He feels like an arse for it, but he really hopes she takes the hint sooner rather than later and leaves him to drown his sorrows late into the night.</p><p>With Zelena, however, he’s never that lucky.</p><p>“I saw her myself.”</p><p>Robin’s poker face wavers at that. “What?” he asks dumbly.</p><p>“I saw her myself,” Zelena repeats, her voice low but filled with glee. “They had this woman tied up in a village not too far from here, and I swear, it’s the spitting image of her. Of the Queen.”</p><p>“That’s not possible,” Robin argues assertively, but as the words tumble out, he suddenly feels unsure. “Is it?” He isn’t nearly pretentious enough to argue the laws of magic with a witch, but if there’s anything the Queen had taught him before her demise it was this: you can’t bring someone back from the dead.</p><p>And dead, the Queen surely had been. Both Robin and Zelena had seen the body.</p><p>Zelena shrugs. “All I know is, someone wearing my sister’s face is currently locked up in Snow White’s dungeons. And I need to figure out what’s going on.” She stares at him expectantly.</p><p>“What?” Robin asks again, though this time he knows what she’s about to say — and dreads it.</p><p>“I need your help breaking her out.”</p><p>“I’m sure two sister sorceresses can figure out how to make it out of a dungeon cell,” Robin deadpans. He tries reaching for his drink again, and Zelena petulantly spills it on the floor.</p><p>“You <em> know </em> they had to have put her in a cell that blocks magic. I need a master lock-pick to get her out of it.” </p><p>The bar wench appears with two more drinks, but Zelena’s quick to dismiss her. “No, no, you can take those back. Give them away. We don’t need them.”</p><p>“I disagree,” Robin argues weakly. He knows the battle is lost, and he watches Zelena shoo the woman away with no further protest.</p><p>Turning back to him, Zelena looks at him with an imploring gaze. “You can’t tell me you’re not even a little interested in seeing this woman. Seeing if it is really her.”</p><p>Guilt settles in Robin’s chest, along with a bit of pity. There’s only one other person who could relate to the pain of losing the Queen, and she’s currently sitting in front of him with desperate blue eyes.</p><p>Zelena had never met her sister before. She’d been a deep, dark secret that their mother had intended to take to her grave. Zelena had always wanted a family — and after learning about her long lost sister, she’d hoped she’d finally found one. But by the time she’d managed to make the trip from Oz to the Enchanted Forest, she had been too late.</p><p>Zelena takes his silence as assent and stands up. She snaps her fingers at him. “Up, up! I can get us there, but we don’t have all night.” Her cloak swishes behind her as she marches towards the exit.</p><p>Exasperated, Robin runs a hand over his face. He knows telling the Wicked Witch of Oz <em> no </em> won’t get him anywhere good. </p><p>And if he’s being honest with himself, she did indeed pique his interest. In spite of himself, he believes what Zelena said she saw. And he knows he can’t turn away from any potential opportunity to look at the very face that’s haunted him every night for the past twenty-eight years.</p><p>With a sigh, he stands and follows Zelena out of the tavern, the treacherous feeling of hope settling in his heart.</p><p>—</p><p>This is the longest, most vivid dream Regina’s ever had.</p><p>The dwarves — <em> dwarves</em>, that’s what they said they were, all seven of them — had harshly made sure she knew that the cell block she’s currently trapped in is impervious to her magic. Exactly what magic they’re talking about, Regina has no idea. And apparently, she won’t find out so long as she’s locked in here.</p><p>Frustrated, she kicks a nearby rock, the loud thud of it hitting the wall doing little to satisfy her. She has no idea what to do. Just wait until she regains consciousness? The thought is greatly unappealing. Henry had seen her fall down the well (she will deal with the stress of the trauma she’s undoubtedly given him later), surely he’d gone back into town to get help? He’s a smart boy, he would’ve known to go tell someone. So what the hell was taking so long? </p><p>What if they already got her out? What if she hit her head hard enough that she’s now in Storybrooke Hospital, stuck in a coma? What if she never comes to? What if she di—</p><p>“No,” she says aloud, trying to silence the intrusive thoughts. Though she manages to derail from that sad train of thought, she can’t shake the ever-growing feeling that this isn’t just a dream.</p><p>And if it’s not? Well, Snow White and her seven dwarves were contemplating her execution during their ride to the dungeons earlier. They kept Regina separated from them, and they ignored her futile attempts to tell them that they had the wrong person, that she didn’t cast whatever wretched curse they were accusing her of. But they were close enough for Regina to catch the gist of their conversation, and the word <em> torture </em> was thrown out far more than she would’ve liked.</p><p>She kicks another rock, but that one’s heavy enough to leave a dull ache on her foot even through the thick fabric of her boot. She huffs, leaning against a bar of the cell door as she brings a hand to her foot.</p><p>“Don’t hurt yourself, dearie,” a high-pitched voice startles her. She looks up to see a man —no, not a man, not exactly — leaning on the door of the cell block across from hers. “You’ve got a long night ahead of you yet! Can’t let a broken foot keep you from escaping,” he jeers with an unsettling grin.</p><p>“Escaping?” Regina lets out a bitter laugh. “Doesn’t seem likely. Apparently I’ve got an execution in my future.” Or a torture session, she recalls with worry.</p><p>“I’ve seen your future, dearie, and trust me,” the not-quite-a-man’s grin widens, “there will be no executions in this kingdom any time soon.” He chuckles at some inside joke that Regina’s clearly not in on.</p><p>Regina arches an eyebrow, but doesn’t argue. Instead, she looks him over warily. “What are you?”</p><p>“My, my, what a rude question,” he says indignantly. “I am not a ‘what.’”</p><p>Embarrassed, Regina steps away. “Sorry, I—” she stops awkwardly before saying, “I’m not really sure what’s going on.”</p><p>“Clearly,” he quips. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t be trapped here, in a cell that renders you powerless.”</p><p>Regina lets out a huff. “Well it doesn’t seem like you’re doing any better, you’re just as locked up as I am.”</p><p>“Au contraire, dearie.” The not-quite-a-man snaps his fingers, and suddenly he’s out of his cell and standing right in front of her. She jumps, backing away from her cell door as he continues speaking.</p><p>“Didn’t mean to startle you,” he says cheerily, lazily hooking his elbows around the bars of the cell door. He lets out a high-pitched chuckle. “Keep your head up, your majesty! Help is on the way!” </p><p>“Your maje—? I am <em> not </em>—” Regina starts, but she’s interrupted.</p><p>“I know <em> exactly </em> who you are, dearie.” A puff of smoke appears around his hand, and once it dissipates, an apple rests in his palm. He tosses it at her, and she catches it instinctively. “To hold you. We’ll keep in touch.”</p><p>And then Regina’s alone again. </p><p>A little shaken, she looks down at the apple in her hands. Arguably not the weirdest thing she’s encountered today, but she idly wonders if she should be concerned about hallucinating within a hallucination. She turns the apple around with her fingers, noting that it feels real enough. </p><p>And it’s tempting, as she feels the hunger pangs in her stomach. She knows better than to risk a bite, however. At least for now.</p><p>Instead, Regina goes over the words the weird little man-creature told her before vanishing into thin air. He said help was on the way. </p><p>From who? Him? A flash of annoyance hits her as she thinks that he seemed pretty capable of getting her out of here as he did himself. She side-eyes the cell he had been in just moments ago. Impervious to magic, her ass…</p><p>Noises break out in the distance, startling her out of her annoyance. They’re echoing in from down the corridor of the dungeon, but they die down almost as soon as they start. Holding her breath, she inches back toward the door of her cell, peering out as far as she’s able.</p><p>Suddenly a man appears in her limited line of vision, light on his feet as he inspects the dungeon. When he turns to look in her direction he starts. </p><p>Regina stays frozen, not sure if she should be worried or relieved. When the man fails to move any further, she raises a hand in an awkward wave. “Hello…”</p><p>The man lets out a breath as he stares at her, dumbfounded. “It is you…”</p><p>The words irk her. It’s the Queen he’s probably referring to, just like the dwarves, and the princess, and the man who gave her the apple still cradled in her palm. But she resists the urge to argue, instead asking, “Can you help me?”</p><p>The question seems to knock him out of his daze. He takes in the bars of her cell for a moment before zeroing in on the iron lock on its door. Warily, he reaches out to touch it, seeming worried that the contact will hurt him.</p><p>In an effort to ease his worries, she wraps her hand around one of the bars close to the lock. “It’s impervious to magic,” she tells him, feeling silly as the words fall out of her mouth.</p><p>He doesn’t seem to find the information ridiculous; the words hardly seem to faze him at all. He kneels down so that he’s eye-level with the lock. “Good thing I didn’t bring any,” he murmurs in response. One of his hands digs around in the satchel at his side, then reappears with a small, thin object between his fingers. </p><p>Something to pick the lock, Regina assumes with a surge of hope. She watches anxiously as he works the lock, not bothering with any small talk. She presses her temple against one of the bars of the cell, both in an effort to see him work, and to try to keep an eye out towards the hall he came down from. When she was first brought in here, there were two guards —each twice the size of the dwarves— keeping watch at the dungeon entrance not too far from her cell. What happened to them?</p><p>“Is it impervious to lock picks too?” she cracks nervously. She regrets the joke when the man throws an unamused look at her before turning his attention back on his work</p><p>When she finally hears the release of the lock, she exhales. The man opens the door, waving his arm a little sarcastically as he says, “Milady.”</p><p>“Thanks,” she says, a bit breathless from her relief. She steps out, giving the cell one last glance before looking at her rescuer. “What now?”</p><p>The man avoids her gaze. “Now, we swiftly and quietly show ourselves out.” He starts down the corridor of the dungeon, and she jogs a few steps to catch up to him. </p><p>As they reach the doors, she finds out what happened to the guards. They’re both sprawled over the floor right in front of the doorway. Warily, Regina eyes the space for any blood.</p><p>The man pays them little mind, stepping over their forms. “Careful. I only used poppies.” </p><p>As if on cue, one of the guards lets out a loud snore.</p><p>On her tip-toes, she quickly steps over one of the guards’ torsos as she follows her rescuer out into the night. </p><p>“Alright.” The man stops and turns around abruptly, making Regina start a little. He looks at her expectantly — though oddly avoiding her direct gaze, she can’t help but note.</p><p>“What?” she asks dumbly.</p><p>“This would be a great time for you to magic us out of here.”</p><p>“Oh… uh,” Regina falters. Well, at least she’s out of the cell. She figures there's no better time than now to come clean. “I can’t… do magic.”</p><p>The man stares at her in confusion.</p><p>“I, uh,” Regina clears her throat. “I’m not the… the Queen that everyone’s been talking about.” She gives him a tight smile. “I’m… not from here.” She glances away nervously, and notices a looming, spiked structure not far in the distance. Is that a… castle?</p><p>“You’re not…”</p><p>She turns back to see the man studying her intently. Awkwardly, she sticks her hand out between them. “Regina,” she offers.</p><p>He stares unsurely at her hand, looking reluctant to accept her handshake. “Robin,” he says finally, slowly moving his hand to take hers.</p><p>His touch is surprisingly warm, and it’s then that Regina takes a second to study him. He’s handsome, with sandy blond hair and scruff on his jaw. His blue eyes finally meet hers, for half a second she feels breathless — which immediately makes her feel stupid.</p><p>“Over there!”</p><p>The shout comes from behind them. Two new guards and one of the dwarves — the grumpy one, Regina assumes, though they all seemed bad-tempered — are charging toward them. </p><p>Robin pulls at Regina’s hand as he breaks into a run. “This way,” he tells her, leading her towards the forest.</p><p>She doesn’t think running blindly into the thick forest at night is a particularly great idea, but with no other apparent options, she follows wordlessly. He’s still gripping her hand, and her arm soon starts to ache as he pulls her deeper into the woods. She can hear the guards keeping pace with them, and Robin takes a sharp turn. She stumbles, and he uses his hold to steady her as he continues winding their path.</p><p>Abruptly, he stops by some bushes Regina can barely make out in the dark, and he pulls her down into a crouch. She works to steady her breathing, as Robin listens out. She can hear them — not too close, but not far behind. They charged into the forest just as blindly as them, so maybe if they keep quiet they’ll —</p><p>“There you are,” a new voice huffs behind them. </p><p>They both jump, Regina gasping when she gets a good look at the woman behind them. She’s holding fire in her palm. A dull thud sounds on the ground by Regina’s feet and she realizes she dropped the apple she’d been given.</p><p>“What are you doing? You were supposed to meet me on the other side of the palace grounds,” the woman continues berating.</p><p>Beside her, Regina sees Robin roll his eyes. “We had some unexpected company.” He nods his head in her direction. “And she doesn’t have magic.”</p><p>The woman looks at her with a frown. “Oh.”</p><p>“Right there, there’s a fire!”</p><p>Robin groans. “Do you mind…?” he asks the woman sarcastically, gesturing in the direction of the guards’ voices.</p><p>The woman rolls her eyes and waves her free hand. A swirl of green smoke engulfs them all, and once it dissipates, they’re standing in the middle of a forest clearing, illuminated by the moon right above them.</p><p>Regina marvels. Magic.</p><p>This has to be a dream.</p><p>She feels a sharp stinging on her leg, and she looks down to see her pants leg is ripped, and stained with blood. She curses, crouching down to assess the damage, and wondering when it happened. She has a very faint memory of something scraping against her leg as she had struggled keeping up with Robin through the forest.</p><p>The gash looks bad, and Regina idly hopes it doesn’t leave a permanent mark. Gingerly, she sits down on the grass.</p><p>“She’s hurt,” Robin tells the woman, who doesn’t seem the least bit bothered by the information. She digs around in the satchel she’s carrying while Robin kneels down to take a look at Regina’s wound. “Zelena, help her.” His voice is heavy with annoyance.</p><p>“Hold on, hold on.” The woman — Zelena — pulls out a glass vial from the satchel. “So she can’t heal herself?”</p><p>Regina lets out a sigh of exasperation. “Okay. So can one of you explain why everyone seems to think I’m this — this Evil Queen with powers, and — Ow!” She flinches as Zelena swipes her finger over the gash on her leg.</p><p>“There we go,” Zelena murmurs, letting a drop of the blood on her finger fall into the vial. </p><p>“What are you doing?” Robin asks, sounding tired. He pulls a long strip of cloth from his own satchel and begins wrapping it around Regina’s leg, and she holds back from asking if he’s carrying any disinfectant in his bag as well.</p><p>The vial in Zelena’s hand begins to glow green as her other hand hovers over it. Regina watches, intrigued, as the glow slowly changes from green into magenta. </p><p>Zelena shoots a quick glance at her. “Fascinating,” she says. “Are you sure you can’t heal yourself?”</p><p>Regina glares at her. “Pretty sure.”</p><p>“Pity,” Zelena quips. “I remember the Evil Queen managing a little cut quite easily.”</p><p>“I’m not —”</p><p>“Oh, technicalities,” Zelena interjects, her tone light as she slips the vial back into her bag.</p><p>Robin huffs, tying the ends of the bandage around Regina’s leg with a little too much force. “Zelena, please. It’s been a long day. It’s been a long <em> night</em>. I’ve done what you asked of me, so will you please elaborate on what’s going on?” He keeps a hand on Regina’s calf, and she can’t help shifting her eyes to it. He doesn’t notice though, too busy glaring at Zelena, who’s still standing over them with the same air of nonchalance.</p><p>“Fine.” Zelena crosses her arms and looks at Regina. “You’re the reincarnation of my sister,” she states bluntly. “And you’re going to break the curse she cast on this land.”</p>
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<a name="section0002"><h2>2. ghost</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hi. i'm gonna be honest, i didn't think i'd be updating this fic ever, it really was just for the prompt week. but here we are, so bear with me as i try to figure things out &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Ow!” Regina grunts. She hisses as Zelena ignores her complaints and continues to lace up her bodice with little mercy. “Are you trying to puncture a lung?”</p><p>“You’re quite the complainer,” Zelena notes. “In all honesty I’m feeling a bit disappointed.” She tugs at the laces again, adding further injury to insult as Regina bristles at her remark.</p><p>“Well I’m sorry I didn’t live up to your expectations,” Regina huffs. Her palms ache as she braces herself against a tree, and she looks down at the heap of her former outfit with longing.</p><p>It’s been three days that she’s been here in Fairytale Land (“Enchanted Forest,” she’s been corrected multiple times, but the name sounds just as ridiculous in her opinion). And after waking up this morning and realizing that the ever-growing stench in the air was actually coming from herself, she’d decided it was time to experience her first river bath. </p><p>It had been every bit as uncomfortable and mortifying as she’d expected, but at least now she no longer feels like she’s decomposing. The bad news however, is that her comfortable pants and dress shirt are beyond salvaging — at least in this world. She’s certain that her washer and sewing machine back home would do the trick just fine, but god knows when she’ll find those things accessible to her again.</p><p><em> If I ever do… </em> She stops that depressing train of thought before it goes further, focusing on Zelena finally finishing the lacing and reaching for the long, red riding coat she’d hung up on a branch.</p><p>Regina looks down at the bodice, noting that her normally modest cleavage has been enhanced way beyond what she considers appropriate for daytime wear. Paired with the tight leather trousers Zelena had also lent her, Regina’s reminded of all the tacky Halloween costumes that Emma and Kathryn always try to convince her into wearing. </p><p>The coat, at least, covers enough to make her feel like less of a hooker, but it’s heavy. The added weight doesn’t help as she struggles to adjust to her breathing in the bodice. She takes another look at her ripped, dirty clothes on the ground and contemplates which option is worse.</p><p>“Any day now,” Robin calls out from somewhere in the trees. He’d stepped away for modesty’s sake, but it wasn’t without a bit of reluctance. This morning he’d woken up a little jittery, and with dark circles under his eyes. When Regina had asked if he’d gotten any sleep, he’d tersely deflected the question — and her gaze — and stressed the importance of them moving along from this part of the forest before the princess’s guard tracked them down.</p><p>He hadn’t been happy when Regina insisted that she was due for a bath, and he’s been rushing them over his shoulder for what Regina assumes has been around thirty minutes. They’re spending an awfully long time trying to get her dressed.</p><p>Zelena tosses back a retort that Regina doesn’t register, as she’s distracted by the look on Robin’s face when he turns around and takes her in. His face pales immediately, and for a split second he looks like he’s seen a ghost.</p><p>He looks away quickly, his eyes hardening as they turn to Zelena. “I don’t think dressing her up like <em> that </em> will do us any favors, seeing as we’re trying to keep people from recognizing her.”</p><p>“It was all I had.” Zelena shrugs. “And honestly, everyone knows her face anyway. Prancing around in the Queen’s wardrobe makes little difference.”</p><p>“Wait.” Regina blinks, glancing down at her new outfit again — and feeling a little nauseous. “I’m wearing a dead woman’s clothes?” She’s not sure why the thought makes her skin crawl, but it does.</p><p>She catches Robin’s slight wince at her words, and she regrets them. It dawns on her why he’d given her that odd look moments before. He <em> had </em> seen a ghost, she supposes. If her alleged uncanniness to the Queen is true. The thought makes her feel even more uncomfortable in what she’s wearing.</p><p>“Well they’re mine, now,” Zelena says, giving Regina an appraising look. “I had to take them in a bit at the hips, I hope you don’t mind.”</p><p>Regina glares at the insult, but Robin cuts in before she can say anything in return. </p><p>“Just finish packing up so we can go. This forest is big, but they’ll find us eventually.” </p><p>His words leave Regina with a bit of a chill. He and Zelena had been vague on their plan since they’d outrun the guards, which has left Regina more and more certain by the day that they don’t really have one. Not a concrete one, anyway. Despite Zelena’s declaration that Regina was to break the curse on the kingdom, she’s offered no details on how exactly Regina’s supposed to do so.</p><p>“So what, are we just going to wander aimlessly around the woods until they reach us?” Regina asks, her tone colored with exasperation.</p><p>They both take a pause before Robin answers, gaze directed at Zelena. “We can go as far as Midas’s kingdom, but after that is the curse line.”</p><p>“Curse line?” </p><p>“The Dark Curse split the Enchanted Forest in half,” Zelena explains, “in order to separate Snow White and her prince. No one’s able to pass through the barrier from either side.”</p><p>Regina starts folding her old clothes as an excuse to avoid their gazes. She’d thought she had been growing desensitized to the fantastical talk of princesses and magic and curses, but apparently she’d been wrong. Anxiety grips her chest, and she sits down on a nearby boulder. “Great. So we make it to… <em> Midas’s </em> kingdom” — she scrunches her nose at how ridiculous it sounds — “and then what?”</p><p>“Then I teach you how to use your magic,” Zelena says. </p><p>Regina’s face sours even more. “And how long is <em> that </em> gonna take?”</p><p>“Well that depends on how quickly you catch on.” Zelena’s tone carries little confidence in Regina’s abilities, and that sparks further annoyance.</p><p>“Well I don’t really have the time for that,” Regina snaps, standing up. “I have a son I have to get back to.” One that’s hopefully doing alright in her absence. She figures Emma must be with him, hopefully soothing his worries over whatever’s happened to Regina in their world. She fights back a wave of concern for him before it overwhelms her.</p><p>“Then hopefully you’re a quick study,” Zelena answers coolly. Her blue gaze is hard, but after three days filled with all this nonsense Regina’s beyond feeling intimidated. No one’s keeping her from getting back to Henry if she can help it.</p><p>Robin steps in, his hands held up in a placating gesture towards them. “We’ll do both. While you practice magic, Zelena and I will look into how you got here — and how to get you back. Where exactly did you land when you were brought here?”</p><p>“I’m not sure. It was a dirt clearing in the woods…” Regina struggles for a moment before remembering what the dwarves said. “One of the guards said it used to be a lake?”</p><p>“Lake Nostos.” Robin looks at Zelena, a question in his eyes.</p><p>“Well we can’t go there,” she says. “It’s too close to Snow White’s castle.”</p><p>“Which means they must’ve already searched there, which will make it safe— at least for a few days,” Robin reasons. “And it’s far enough from the castle that the knights guarding the immediate grounds shouldn’t be stationed near there.”</p><p>A small trickle of hope swells in Regina’s chest. “Then let’s go.” She picks up her dirty clothes and takes an eager step towards Robin. He steps back in response, which stomps down on the spark of optimism she’d just felt, replacing it with an unexpected twinge of hurt. </p><p>Zelena’s words further lower her mood. “No. She can’t go back until the curse is broken.”</p><p>Regina’s earlier anger at the woman returns. “I am <em> not </em> your hostage.” </p><p>“Well let’s just see about that dear,” Zelena threatens. “You couldn’t even escape a mere couple of dwarves on your own. You think you can run from me?” Regina remembers the palmful of fire the woman was holding when they’d met, and knows she’d be on the losing end of any fight with her. She petulantly holds the witch’s icy gaze anyway.</p><p>“Stop,” Robin interjects again, this time anger flaring in his tone. He shoots Zelena a hard look. “She’s right, she is not our hostage. We won’t keep her here against her will.” He turns his head towards Regina, his eyes focusing just above her own as tells her, “You don’t have to help us. However, you may be the only one who can, and I implore you to please consider doing so. In return, we’ll try to help you get back home.” </p><p>He’s sincere, no malice nor threats in his voice, but Regina doesn’t miss the implication in his words. If she says no, she’ll be on her own from here on out. Grudgingly, she acknowledges that it’s only fair — they already saved her from a royal execution, and she’s done nothing for them in return. </p><p>She glances quickly at the forest around her, not even sure which direction she would go if they were to part ways. She’d most likely find herself back in the dungeons before ever getting back to Storybrooke. With the aid of her two current companions she might have a better shot, at the very least at getting back to the lake — and maybe that’ll be enough…</p><p>“Fine,” she answers finally. “Help me find a way back home, and I’ll try to break the curse.” She can’t help the doubt in her voice, but the smile that Robin gives her tells her he either didn’t hear it or doesn’t care. </p><p>Robin looks back expectantly at Zelena. “To Lake Nostos?”</p><p>“No,” Zelena says again, which Regina lets out an angry huff to in response. Zelena ignores her, telling Robin, “She breaks the curse, and <em> then </em> we go to Lake Nostos.”</p><p>Robin sighs. “You can start training her on the way. It’ll be another two days to get back there anyhow.”</p><p>Another two days? Regina lets out another angry huff. “Can’t she magic us there? Why waste time walking?”</p><p>“I <em> am </em> over the walking,” Zelena agrees. “But I’m not doing anything more for you until I get something in return.”</p><p>“Compromise,” Robin orders. “Let’s get away from here to some place more remote, and you two can practice some magic for a while. I’ll do some hunting nearby in the meantime, perhaps find a village to replenish supplies so we don’t have to rely on Zelena’s magic as much anymore. Then we’ll see where we go from there.”</p><p>Regina clenches her jaw in frustration, and shoots Zelena a glance. She doesn’t seem any more happy with Robin’s suggestion than Regina is, but neither of them argue.</p><p>Robin takes their silence as assent. “Perfect. We’ll go north, towards Sherwood. There’s a small clearing on the way where I’ll leave you two to practice while I visit the market.” He starts walking in what Regina assumes is north, not waiting their approval. </p><p>Zelena scoffs indignantly, but follows him anyway, leaving Regina trailing behind them both. </p><p>They make an odd pair, Regina thinks. Two alpha types with very different approaches to life. And though they seem to know each other well enough, there’s a distance between them that reminds Regina of trying to force two magnets together. She wonders what else they could possibly have in common besides the need to break this curse. </p><p><em> A mysterious past with the Queen </em>, she realizes after mulling it over for a moment. It sparks a weird feeling inside her, making her uneasy in the heavy clothing she’s wearing again. It’s almost as if, in the Queen’s absence, Regina has unwittingly stepped in as the new glue to bring the two together again.</p><p> </p><p>—</p><p> </p><p>After the curse was first cast, Snow White had pardoned Robin as a thank you for his help in the war against the Queen. Though it was always a heavy reminder of his betrayal, Robin had long grown used to being able to walk freely through a village market without having to worry that someone might recognize him from a wanted poster. </p><p>And so the nervousness that sinks in now is rather foreign as he brings his hood over his head and does his best to avoid any unwanted attention. He’d ditched his bow and arrows in a nearby tree in an effort to further blend in, but their absence has him feeling too vulnerable. He wonders if he’s taking too big a risk, but he knows depending too much on Zelena’s magic will only hinder them in the long run. She needs to save her strength to be able to keep the princess’s full guard at bay. Especially since the princess has fairies on her side.</p><p>And he can manage just fine without his usual weapon, Robin reminds himself. He’s still got a knife, he’s quick on his feet, and he doubts any possible news of his treason has reached Sherwood just yet. He’s yet to see any wanted posters of himself — or his other two companions, for that matter. So he should be fine…</p><p>Robin rolls his eyes at his own ridiculousness. It wasn’t like him to be so cowardly. Thirty years ago, he wouldn’t have flinched at having to visit the market. And being as intensely targeted as he has been these past two days would’ve given him an exhilarating thrill, not the overwhelming agitation he’s been suffering with since having freed Regina from the palace dungeons. </p><p>If his men were around, they’d mockingly point out that he’d lost his edge. The thought bothers him immensely. </p><p>But he supposes it’s an easier thought to entertain than the truth — that having to protect Regina from the princess’s guard is bringing back a load of unwanted memories, threatening to make him relive a loss he still hasn’t fully recovered from. </p><p>She’s not the Queen. That, Robin is painfully aware of. And yet he knows that should anything happen to her on his watch, the pain would be just as debilitating as it had been the night that Prince David ran his sword through the Queen’s abdomen. And Robin doesn’t think he can go through that a second time.</p><p>He eyes a few wool blankets on sale. A luxury he wouldn’t normally consider in the middle of spring, as they make for too much bulk to carry while on the run. But Regina had shivered in her sleep for the past two nights, even after he’d draped his cloak over her form. Queen or not, she’s clearly not used to life in the woods. Or even modest village life, he assumes, judging by the way she’s balked at most of the food Robin has offered her, and how uncomfortable she seems to be with any speck of dirt on her person. Wherever she’s from, she seems to be just as sheltered and pampered as her previous incarnation.</p><p>The thought leads Robin back to unpleasant topics again. Reincarnation. She’s not the Queen, and yet she technically is. The whole thing is enough to give Robin a headache. Though he knows it’s real, he’s never given much thought to the concept of past lives. What should he care about his past life, or any future lives he might live when what’s most important is the life he’s living now?</p><p>Granted, he’s never had to deal with the same soul twice in the same lifetime (he doubts many people have). </p><p>Though looking at her hurts him deeply, since learning Regina wasn’t really the Queen, he’s had little trouble keeping them separate in his head — they’re too different. But should he be trying to reconcile them? It just doesn’t seem fair to either of them to do so.</p><p>Zelena refuses to acknowledge any difference — at least aloud. It’s through this fact that he knows Regina greatly objects to being merged with the memory of the Queen. And though she’s not around to confirm, Robin knows the Queen would have the same objections.</p><p>He lets out a heavy sigh, grabbing a purple blanket and spending more than he ever would’ve cared to spend on it. He figures he should keep his thieving to a minimum while he’s here. </p><p>He spends about an hour stocking up on food, remembering Zelena’s insistence on some oranges to boost her magic supply. As he peruses the other fruits available, he pauses on a crate of apples. After a moment or so, he grabs two. The variety would be nice, he tells himself, and if Regina doesn’t like them, well… </p><p><em> Then she’s certainly not the Queen</em>, he jokes to himself half-heartedly.</p><p>When he’s finished, he makes his way back to the clearing with his stash hung over his shoulder. He figures he can spare some time to eat some of the food he just bought before starting on some hunting. He’s also curious as to how Regina’s faring with Zelena’s lessons. </p><p>He almost winces at the thought, wondering too late if it was a good idea to have left them alone. He didn’t think Zelena would cause any serious injuries, but he also knew she’d definitely be giving Regina the tough love approach. </p><p>His fears are more or less realized just before he reaches the clearing. He hears Regina let out a loud <em> OW </em> followed by a series of low booms that he recognizes to be bursts of magic. Once the two are in view, he finds Regina attempting to dodge bolts of green magic coming from Zelena’s palms. The ones that miss hit an invisible wall behind Regina, and Robin looks up to see the residual smoke being blocked from reaching past the treetops before fading away. Zelena’s encased them in a barrier, presumably to keep from prying eyes.</p><p>Regina’s no longer wearing the Queen’s riding coat and pants. She’s back in her old clothes that are sporting some new holes, probably from their current activities. Robin doesn’t like the relief he feels at not having to look at her donning the Queen’s wardrobe, so he does his best to push it aside.</p><p>“Stop running!” Zelena growls, clearly frustrated. “Use your magic to fight off my attacks!”</p><p>“I don’t know how!” Regina yells back through her panting. She continues trying to dodge Zelena’s magic bolts, yelling <em> OW </em> again as one hits her on the hip.</p><p>“Don’t hurt her!” Robin admonishes.</p><p>Zelena rolls her eyes. “She’s fine, I’m barely tapping her. Just enough to give her an incentive” — she fires off another round of bolts — “to<em> fight back!</em>”</p><p>Regina trips during one of her dodges and lands hard on her side. She doesn’t try to get up, and Robin panics, running over to her before he can fully process what he’s doing.</p><p>He leans over her. “Are you alright, m’lady?”</p><p>Regina groans, flipping over onto her back as she breathes heavily.</p><p>“Don’t be so dramatic,” Zelena chides over his shoulder. </p><p>He looks over to glare at her. “You could go a bit easier on her.”</p><p>“Or she could try harder.”</p><p>Robin sighs. “Well to be fair, you weren’t exactly giving her time to think, let alone concentrate on conjuring magic.” </p><p>Zelena rolls her eyes, but doesn’t argue.</p><p>He wants to trust Zelena’s assurance that Regina has inherited the Queen’s power, but watching Regina sprawled tiredly in front of him, he’s beginning to doubt it. In any case, it’s becoming clear that Regina won’t be breaking any curses within the next few days. Or perhaps even weeks.</p><p>He stands, watching Zelena straighten up alongside him. “What do you say you take us to Firefly Hill? It’s about an hour’s walk from Lake Nostos, and spacious enough for you to continue your tormenting after we eat.”</p><p>At Zelena’s reluctance, Robin adds, “I grabbed plenty of oranges, and a few sweet rolls.” He shoots her a smile when she nods, ignoring her huff as she walks away to grab her things.</p><p>“Did you say sweet rolls?”</p><p>He looks down to see Regina sitting up, eyeing the bag of food still hung over his shoulder. His smile widens, and it’s the easiest time he’s had looking at her since they’ve met. He crouches back down and opens the bag between them, schooling his face as she rummages through and settles on an apple.</p><p>She takes a bite, then fixes him with a stony glare that’s all too familiar. “I’m <em> not </em> doing another magic lesson with her.”</p><p> </p><p>—</p><p> </p><p>The view of Firefly Hill is beautiful. There are only a few trees at the top, letting Regina get an uninterrupted view of the sleepy little village, lit up by the sun overtop. She imagines the sunset later will be an amazing sight, and the thought fills her with an odd sense of nostalgia. She’s not a particularly spiritual person, but she can’t shake the feeling that she’s been here before. That she’s seen the very sunset she’s currently picturing, and knows in her heart that the real thing will look just like in her imagination.</p><p>She’s still not buying her companions’ talk of reincarnation (or that anything around her is even real for that matter), but looking out over this hill, she almost considers it.</p><p>Regina manages to fight off another magic lesson until mid-afternoon, when — at Robin’s insistence — Zelena grumpily sits down in front of her to attempt to walk her through using her powers.</p><p>“Magic is emotion,” Zelena states, looking intently at her. “If you want to call it forth, you must learn to connect with the strongest emotions you have — and weaponize them.”</p><p>Regina raises a brow, glancing over at Robin, who grimaces in return. He doesn’t comment however, and Zelena continues her monologue. At the witch’s cue, Regina closes her eyes and opens her palm in front of her. She tries to visualize what Zelena is telling her to: a ball of fire like the one she saw Zelena conjure the night they met. </p><p><em>This is so ridiculous,</em> she thinks. <em>Magic isn’t real. And even if it is, </em>you<em> certainly don’t have it.</em></p><p>“Focus,” Zelena orders. “What are you feeling right now?”</p><p>“Frustration,” Regina says through clenched teeth. </p><p>“Great. Lean in to that. Visualize that frustration and push into your hand.”</p><p>Regina lets out a breath through her nose, her eyes still closed but her efforts waning. Ridiculous, ridiculous —</p><p>“Zelena.”</p><p>She opens one eye to see Robin looking out into the trees downhill. He shoots Zelena worried look. “I think someone’s near.”</p><p>Zelena moves to stand, conjuring a fireball of her own, but Robin gently grabs hold of her elbow to stop her. “Wait. We don’t know who it is, or what they want.”</p><p>“Then I should take us somewhere else.”</p><p>“No,” Regina says without thinking. Robin had said this place was only an hour away from Lake Nostos. She didn’t want to get further away from her only possible way back to Henry.</p><p>Robin grabs their bags. “Can you take us to the forest surrounding the dry lake?”</p><p>Zelena shoots Regina an untrusting look, but nods wordlessly. Before she can lift her hand however, a small burst of magic shoots out from the area Robin was watching. It misses them, hitting the tree Robin was propped against as he ducks. Glowing, purple dust rains on his head and ground next to him.</p><p>“Stupid bugs,” Zelena grumbles as she stands. Waving a hand, a cloud of green smoke engulfs them. When it clears away, they’re surrounded by trees.</p><p>Zelena glares at Robin. “I told you coming back here was a bad —”</p><p>“Over there!” someone yells not too far from them — an annoyingly familiar voice that Regina recognizes to be one of the dwarves. They all swerve around in time to see two full-sized guards lunge at them. </p><p>Zelena flings an arm their way, sending them flying into the trees. Before she can go on the offense however, another ball of glowing dust is shot towards them. Whoever throws it has much better aim than the first, and they manage to catch Zelena offguard. It encases her feet as she tries to dodge it, and she falls on her side. </p><p>Robin grabs Regina’s arm, yanking her into the forest. “Run.”</p><p>She scrambles to keep up with him, and he lets go of her arm to ready his bow. He shoots an arrow out at someone Regina doesn’t see — but the low groan she hears right after lets her know he hit his mark.</p><p>For some reason, knowing he just shot someone sends her into a panic. She runs faster, losing Robin as he stops to shoot another arrow. She has no idea where she’s going, but she can hear heavy footsteps behind her getting closer. </p><p>The panic grows, swelling in her chest as she chances a glance over her shoulder. It’s a mistake, and she trips on a tree root in the process. Before she can try to right her balance she’s on the floor, and she shoots a wild look back at the guards just a few feet away. The panic in her chest explodes and she lifts up a hand as she screams. A burst of purple light almost blinds her for a moment, and when it fades she sees most of the guards lying on the ground groaning.</p><p>The few who weren’t completely incapacitated start to catch their bearings, and Regina hurries to get up and keep running, her mind racing over what she just did.</p><p>Was that magic? That came from her hand, didn’t it? Can she do it again? </p><p>Abruptly, she hits a clearing in the forest. She slows, disoriented for a moment before noticing the dip in the ground not too far from her. This is where she came to after falling in the well, and where the dwarves found her. Lake Nostos.</p><p>She hurries over, unsure of what to do. She can hear the guards in the distance; she needs to act quick.</p><p>“Regina!” She looks to her right as Robin breaks through the trees and runs toward her. At the same time, three guards appear from the same spot Regina came from, not breaking their pace as they charge at her.</p><p>Robin shoots one with two arrows, but the other two pay him no mind as they get closer to her. Regina freezes, as she watches them, not knowing what to do. The closest guard seems to have little intentions of taking her alive, and he swings his sword at her.</p><p>She just barely manages to dodge his attack, and she loses her footing at the edge of the lake. She can vaguely hear Robin yelling her name as she falls into the lake, bouncing once against the hard, dried dirt before she feels weightless again, falling further….</p><p>She doesn’t land as hard as she expects — she also doesn’t on her side, the way she fell. She’s sitting up, the back of her head throbbing a little from bumping against the stone wall behind her when she fell. It’s mostly dark around her, save for some sunlight shining from above her. She takes in her new surroundings, feeling disoriented.</p><p>She’s back in the well.</p><p>She stands gingerly, feeling a dull pain on her ankle. Was it from dodging the guard’s attack, like she remembers? Or was it all a dream after all?</p><p>“Henry!” she calls out, worry filling her when she doesn’t get a reply. “Henry!” she calls again, her voice more desperate.</p><p>“Mom?” The voice is muted by the distance, but she’d know her son’s voice anywhere.</p><p>“Henry! Can you get help?”</p><p>“Regina?” a new voice calls out, and Regina’s shoulders sag with relief. It’s Emma. Her head pokes out over the opening of the well, blocking some of the sunlight. </p><p>Henry pops up next to her. “See? I told you she was in here!"</p><p>Emma ignores him, calling out to Regina, “Are you okay? Can you move? Can you climb?”</p><p>Regina nods, taking in the tree vines covering the walls around her. She pulls carefully on one, testing its endurance before raising a foot on top of one of the stones. </p><p>“Careful!” Emma calls out. “I’m calling for backup!” She disappears, her voice sounding distant again as she frantically talks over the phone.</p><p>“Mom, what happened to you?” Henry asks.</p><p>Regina tries to focus on her current task of climbing, having no desire to wait however long for the fire department to come rescue her. “I don’t know, honey,” she answers distractedly. </p><p>It feels like an eternity before she reaches the top. Emma peers back in to overlook her progress, telling her to take it easy, and that help was on the way. As soon as Regina’s within arm’s reach, Emma hooks her elbow around one of the poles of the well’s roof and leans in, her other arm outstretched. Regina grabs her hand, grateful for the help as the throbbing on her head and ankle have gotten worse.</p><p>Carefully, Emma pulls Regina out the rest of the way. Regina sighs in relief as she rests her weight on the edge of the well for a moment. She can hear sirens in the distance — mildly embarrassing, but she pushes the feeling down as she takes in Henry and Emma’s wide eyes with a sense of relief.</p><p>She’s home.</p><p> </p><p>—</p><p> </p><p>Regina settles into her couch, not intending to move from it for a while. Henry’s at her side, finally getting the chance to recant his side of the story to her. She indulges him, despite wanting to put the matter to rest and forget it ever happened. She’s never been so happy to listen to his rambles like she is right now.</p><p>“You really don’t remember what happened?” he asks her.</p><p>She sighs. “No, honey, I don’t.” She doesn’t like lying to him, but she knows she’ll sound insane if she told him the truth. Her son has a wild imagination, and she knows he’ll indulge her fantastic story of curses and princesses. But she doesn’t want to risk the story getting back to Emma or to anyone else who might demand she get her head checked — or worse.</p><p>And on a more selfish note, she truly has no interest in reliving the whole thing. She already knows she’s gonna lose more sleep than she cares to in the following weeks, staying up late wondering if it was real or not. Maybe a quick chat with Dr. Hopper wouldn’t hurt….</p><p>“Okay.” Emma enters the living room, breaking Regina out of her thoughts. “I arranged all the food Granny gave you in the fridge, and I’m pretty sure Sidney and any of his lackeys have given up on staking out the house, at least for the night. But I’ve checked all the locks and closed all the curtains just in case. You sure you don’t want me to stay the night?”</p><p>“You are welcome to stay, but you don’t have to,” Regina answers tiredly. </p><p>Truthfully, she’d much rather Emma leave. She knows Emma’s dying for a chance to properly interrogate her. Unlike Henry, she doesn’t buy Regina’s claims that she has no memory of what happened to her. According to Henry, Emma had been lowered into the well herself to find Regina, and had seen for herself that the well had been empty. Adding that to the fact that no one can figure out how Regina would’ve lasted in there for three days with no food or water, Emma has to have a lot of questions. Questions Regina has no interest in entertaining.</p><p>Emma mulls it over for a moment, watching her. Regina lets her eyelids droop, hoping her friend will take pity on her and leave her alone with her son for the night. It’s not hard to play up the fatigue — she truly is exhausted.</p><p>“We’re gonna watch the Cat in the Hat,” Henry says, and Regina grins. She knows the comment was meant to encourage Emma to stay, but also knows the movie choice would put her friend off from doing so.</p><p>Predictably, Emma grimaces. “Okay. Graham is taking the night shift, but I’ll have my phone on if you need anything. I’ll be back in the morning.” </p><p>Regina nods, thanking her as Emma squeezes Regina’s shoulder. She tells Henry to go lock the door behind her, and as they leave the living room Regina relaxes back into her couch. She doubts Emma will let her get away without a talk for long, but she pushes that thought to the back of her mind and lets herself enjoy being back in her nice, modern home. With blankets aplenty, an overflow of lasagna in the fridge, and not a single bug in sight. No bitchy red-heads threatening her with magic, either.</p><p>Thinking of Zelena reminds her of Robin however, and an odd feeling of sadness waves over her. It’s guilt, she reasons, for skipping out on her promise to help him, even if it had been by accident. But is it not silly regardless to feel guilt over a deal that was probably not even real? </p><p>She’s grateful for Henry’s return. He snuggles up next to her, and plays the movie. Comforted by the feeling of him against her side, she makes it through the first twenty minutes before her eyelids get heavy and her head’s lolling back on the couch. </p><p>The next time she opens her eyes, she’s disoriented for a few moments, half-expecting to find herself lying back on the forest ground. She’s brought back by the sound of one of Henry’s favorite cartoons streaming on the tv, and she looks down to see him sleeping soundly, his head drooped onto her shoulder. Regina reaches for the remote on Henry’s other side, turning off the tv. She adjusts the blanket around them both, too exhausted to get them both up the stairs to their own beds. </p><p>She takes one more look around the dark living room, finding solace in what little she can make out in the darkness. She’s home, she reminds herself as she leans back into the couch and closes her eyes.</p><p>When she wakes up again, it’s morning. Careful not to wake Henry, she stretches, her body aching from sleeping on the couch. Or perhaps from spending the past three days trekking through the woods and (barely) sleeping on the uneven ground. </p><p>She gets up and readjusts Henry so that he’s sleeping horizontally on the couch, and then makes her way up the stairs to her bathroom, desperately craving a hot shower. She revels in the feeling of the water and getting properly clean, lingering longer than she normally does. By the time she finishes and gets herself dressed for the day, she can hear Henry moving around in the kitchen.</p><p>As she makes her way back down the stairs, she can hear Emma’s voice in the kitchen as well. Regina tenses for a moment, still not ready to talk to her friend about what may or may not have happened to her. Wringing her hands for a second, she notices the scratch she remembers getting during Zelena’s magic lesson. Twisting her hand to look at it, she struggles with the part of her saying it was just a long, vivid dream.</p><p>She runs a finger over the scratch, the raised skin making a strong argument for the impossible.</p><p> </p><p>—</p><p> </p><p>Regina thanks Granny for the takeout on the way out of the diner, telling herself this is the last time she’ll be having it for a while. She’s spent the last three days recovering, lounging at home with Henry and working on pushing the whole ordeal out of her mind as much as she could. She’s put off grocery shopping, both out of exhaustion, and out of avoiding the annoying journalists from the newspaper still trying to get a good story from the accident.</p><p>After enough well-placed threats from Emma, they’d relented enough that Regina had felt comfortable picking up food from Granny’s herself, while Emma stayed with Henry. The short drive had given her a small sense of normalcy, and it makes her hopeful that life as usual will resume sooner rather than later.</p><p>But that dream is shot down before she can even make it back to her car.</p><p>“Milady!” she hears to her left as she steps onto the sidewalk, and the familiarity of the voice fills her with dread.</p><p>It’s Robin.</p><p>She almost can’t believe it. She gapes at him for a moment, unable to help noting how out of place he looks in front of her. </p><p>He stares at her with relief as he approaches her without any of his prior reservations. “Are you alright? I almost thought I wouldn’t find you, we had no idea what the lake had done to you —”</p><p>“What the <em> hell </em> are you doing here? How did you get here?” she hisses, glancing around them nervously. There’s not too many people on Main Street, and no one really seems to have noticed him yet — but she should probably move this conversation somewhere more private before Sidney Glass or anyone else from the newspaper finds them.</p><p>“Looking for you,” he says, not bothering to lower his voice. “I jumped into the dry lake, the same way you left.”</p><p>She shoves him towards her car, taking one last glance around the mostly deserted street. “Get inside,” she commands, opening the door of the passenger seat. Robin shoots her a confused look, but follows orders after she gives him another shove. She closes the door with a little more force than she normally would and then quickly walks around to the driver’s side. She places her bag of food on the floor of the backseat.</p><p>Robin awkwardly moves the quiver from over his shoulder to his lap as he watches Regina turn the car on. He starts slightly at the engine. “What is this?”</p><p>“My version of a carriage,” Regina answers tiredly.</p><p>“Magic?”</p><p>“No.” She realizes her new aversion to that word as she turns aimlessly away from Main Street. She goes over what he’d said earlier. “You said you jumped into the lake?”</p><p>“Yes,” he replies. “Apparently it’s a portal. I landed in a well not too far from here…”</p><p>“I know the one,” she says tightly. She turns the car in the direction of the park. “Why did you come here? We need to get you back.”</p><p>“I needed to see if you were alright,” he says, and the earnestness in his eyes is unexpectedly touching.</p><p>Regina shakes it off, turning back to the road. “I’m fine. I’m home.”</p><p>“I’m glad,” he says, and she can tell it’s sincere. But he’s quick to follow it with, “But we still need your help.”</p><p>Regina groans. “No. No curses. No magic. I have no interest in being on the run again from a bunch of medieval guards. Or dwarves.”</p><p>They fall silent for a couple of minutes as she continues to drive. She doesn’t look at him, not wanting to see if he’s angry, and not wanting to give him a chance to weaken her defenses. There’s no way she’s going back with him.</p><p>She parks near the trail leading to the well. Dread fills her being back here, but she pushes it aside and opens her door. “Let’s go.”</p><p>Robin makes no move to open the door, and she realizes that he probably doesn’t know how. “You grab that metal —”</p><p>Robin cuts in. “I can’t leave without you, m’lady. We need you to help us break the curse.”</p><p>“I can’t do that!” Regina snaps. “I think I made it abundantly clear during my time there that I couldn’t work any magic.” She shoves back the memory of her blasting back the guards in the forest, hoping Robin can’t see the lie in her eyes.</p><p>“You’re the only chance we have,” Robin insists. “You’re the first bit of hope we’ve all had in almost thirty years.” When Regina doesn’t budge, he sighs. “We helped you,” he reminds her, and Regina does feel a small twinge of guilt at not having held up her end of the bargain.</p><p>“I have a son here,” she tells him. “I can’t leave him again. I won’t.”</p><p>Robin’s eyes soften at the mention of Henry, but he doesn’t back down. “I can’t leave without you, Regina.” He’s still meeting her gaze, and she prefers he’d go back to avoiding it. She hates being a sap for blue eyes, but his send a soft flutter in her chest. </p><p>She holds her ground. “Then I guess you’re staying for dinner.” She winces at the thought of having to explain his presence to Emma and Henry. But she doesn’t have the heart to kick him out of her car (and she’s not entirely sure he’d listen to her anyway). </p><p>She closes her door harder than she should. She catches Robin’s unsure look, and it’s clear her decision’s caught him by surprise. </p><p>“Dinner?”</p><p>She turns the keys, holding back a petty laugh as the ignition startles him. All humor dies out as she considers what she’s going to tell Emma and Henry — and how they’re going to take it.</p><p>
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</p><p>“So you used to be the Evil Queen from Snow White?” Henry asks bluntly.</p><p>“I… yeah.”</p><p>“And then she died?”</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>“And now you’re you.”</p><p>“… Yeah.” She wanted a drink.</p><p>“The Evil Queen…,” Emma drawls. “I can see it.”</p><p>Regina shoots her a glare, but her nerves overpower her annoyance. “You believe me?” she asks warily.</p><p>Emma leans forward on the couch. “All I know is I searched every inch of that well, and you weren’t in it. I’ve yet to hear any reasonable explanations as to where you went for three days.”</p><p>“So…?”</p><p>“So…” Emma presses her lips together for a moment before saying, “I guess for the moment, we are considering the <em> un </em>reasonable explanations. And Mr…. Hood here doesn’t seem to be lying, no matter how crazy he sounds.”</p><p>Robin arches a brow, and Henry tells him, “Emma’s a human lie detector.” Robin nods in response, though Regina can tell Henry’s explanation was little help. </p><p>“So, now that everyone’s caught up,” Robin starts, standing up. “I believe it’s time we get going.” Not this again.</p><p>“Going?” </p><p>“We?” Emma asks.</p><p>Regina sighs, shaking her head. “The Queen cursed the whole kingdom before she died, and he thinks I can fix it,” she explains. She turns to Robin and glares. “But I don’t have magic. We established that quite clearly while I was there.”</p><p>Robin shakes his head. “You barely practiced for a day. Zelena says she can sense it in you, we just need to figure out how to bring it out.” The confidence he seems to have in her makes her stomach flutter in a way she immediately doesn’t like. To make things worse, this is the first time he’s looked her directly in the eye since they first met in the dungeons.</p><p>“You have magic?” Henry marvels, breaking Regina out of her brief stupor. </p><p>“No,” Regina answers at the same time Robin gives an emphatic “Yes.”</p><p>She turns back to Robin with a hard look. “I’m not leaving my son again,” she says, leaving no room for argument. </p><p>“But then who’s gonna break the curse?” Henry insists. Robin looks at her, his eyes smug as he waits for her to answer. </p><p>“Henry…,” Regina trails off tiredly.</p><p>“You have to go!”</p><p>“And what, just leave you here by yourself?”</p><p>“I’ll stay with Emma,” Henry answers simply — so simply that Regina turns to the blonde in question, looking for support.</p><p>“Uhh…” Emma falters for a moment. “Not that I mind watching the kid, but… is it really a good idea to go back to a place where everyone wants your head on a spike?”</p><p>Regina glares daggers at her for her terrible choice of words around Henry, and Emma shrugs helplessly.</p><p>“I’ll make sure nothing happens to her,” Robin vows. “You have my word, I’ll do everything I can to keep her safe.” The declaration makes Regina’s stomach flutter again, much to her dismay.</p><p>Emma stares at him for a moment before looking questioningly at Regina. “Your move,” she says unhelpfully.</p><p>“You have to go, Mom,” Henry insists. “You have to help them!”</p><p>Emma wraps an arm around Henry. “I’ll keep the kid alive,” she says. </p><p>“And I’ll keep her alive,” Henry quips, making Regina’s lips twitch up in an almost-smile</p><p>“And I’ll keep <em> you </em> alive,” Robin promises. She meets his gaze, and can see that he means it. There’s a weight to the promise that she’s reluctant to dissect, but regardless of it she finds herself suddenly wanting to say yes.</p><p>She looks back at Henry and Emma, who are both looking at her expectantly.</p><p>She thinks on it for a second longer, then takes a deep breath. “I’d have to come back every four days,” she says, turning back to Robin. “I don’t care what’s going on over in Fairytale Land, I will get to spend two days at home with my son uninterrupted.”</p><p>Robin grimaces. He warns, “Zelena…”</p><p>“Doesn’t get a say.”</p><p>He sighs, but nods in agreement.</p><p>“And I want one last night in my own bed,” she adds. “So we can leave tomorrow morning.”</p><p>Robin grimaces again, but nods his head nonetheless. </p><p>Regina looks at Henry and Emma again, who are still staring at her silently. Henry gives her a smile in encouragement, and Emma raises her eyebrows. Sighing, Regina acquiesces. “Okay. I’ll go back with you.”</p>
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